MINISTRY: A HIGH STANDARD
(Message by Tanny Keng)
1. Ministry
a) When the Messiah gave a Mission to his disciples to preach his message to the world, he made them ministers of that message. It is important to understand the "ministry" of the gospel.
b) If we do not properly understand the ministry, we may not encourage, support, and respect it, nor participate in it as we should. Paul in Colossians tells us, directly and indirectly, some important things about this ministry.
c) The word "minister" in the Greek (the language Paul used to write to the Colossians) is διακονος which is a normal Greek word for "servant". Your translation may even use the word "servant" rather than "minister". When we talk of "ministers" in the church, we should always think of servants. When we talk of "ministry" we should be thinking of serving. The people of the church do not serve the ministers, the ministers serve the people.
d) In the same way, the message is not something that belongs to the minister, it is something that belongs to the world and which the minister must deliver to the world as the servant of Christ.
2. A High Standard
Colossians 1:29
29 For this purpose also I labor, striving according to His power, which mightily works within me.
a) A shared ministry should not mean a lowered standard of ministry. We ought not to seek more ministers at the expense of quality. Paul’s remark to Archippus, "Take heed to your ministry..." (Colossians 4:17) hints that Archippus needed to lift his game. There is no place in the ministry of the gospel for the semi-dedicated. Every minister must be able to say, "I labor, striving according to His power which works mightily in me" (Colossians 1:29).
The End ...
1. Ministry a) When the Messiah gave a Mission to his disciples to preach his message to the world, he made them ministers of that message. It is important to understand the "ministry" of the gospel.
b) If we do not properly understand the ministry, we may not encourage, support, and respect it, nor participate in it as we should. Paul in Colossians tells us, directly and indirectly, some important things about this ministry.
c) The word "minister" in the Greek (the language Paul used to write to the Colossians) is διακονος which is a normal Greek word for "servant". Your translation may even use the word "servant" rather than "minister". When we talk of "ministers" in the church, we should always think of servants. When we talk of "ministry" we should be thinking of serving. The people of the church do not serve the ministers, the ministers serve the people.
d) In the same way, the message is not something that belongs to the minister, it is something that belongs to the world and which the minister must deliver to the world as the servant of Christ.
2. A High Standard
Colossians 1:29
29 For this purpose also I labor, striving according to His power, which mightily works within me.
a) A shared ministry should not mean a lowered standard of ministry. We ought not to seek more ministers at the expense of quality. Paul’s remark to Archippus, "Take heed to your ministry..." (Colossians 4:17) hints that Archippus needed to lift his game. There is no place in the ministry of the gospel for the semi-dedicated. Every minister must be able to say, "I labor, striving according to His power which works mightily in me" (Colossians 1:29).
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